Caesar & Cleopatra: A Brief Overview

Caesar and Cleopatra, two powerful figures of their time, engaged in an intense battle to gain influence over the Roman Senate. Their goal was to win the support of as many Patricians as possible during the regular elections. Whoever managed to secure the majority of Patricians would control the Senate, and therefore, have power over the Empire. It was a fierce competition to manipulate the political landscape and shape the future of Rome.

Setting the Stage

To begin the game, you need to establish the foundation:

1. Constitution of the Forum

First, organize the 35 Forum cards. Then, divide the 21 Patrician cards into 5 groups and arrange them in the center of the table. The specific order of the cards within each group doesn’t matter. Afterward, shuffle the 8 Vote of Confidence cards and place them face down next to the Patrician cards.

2. Party Constitutions

When you play this game, you have the option of choosing between Roman cards, represented by Caesar, or Egyptian cards, represented by Cleopatra. Each deck includes two types of cards: Influence cards, which have either a number or a P in the corner, and Action cards, which have an A on the back.

You start the game by taking 10 Influence cards, specifically two sets of cards numbered from 1 to 5, and setting them aside. The remaining cards are then shuffled and placed in front of you to create the first reserve pile.

Next, you take your 13 Action cards and arrange them in any order you prefer. These cards are placed in front of you, next to pile 1, to form reserve pile 2. Once these two piles are set up, they must not be looked at or shown again.

In addition to these cards, there are also Bonus Goal Cards.

So, here’s the deal. There are these 6 Objective Bonus cards. We shuffle ’em up real good, and then each player picks one at random. What’s on those cards? Well, that’s a secret, my friend. You gotta keep it to yourself. Oh, and those other 4 cards? Yeah, we just put ’em back in the box. No need to show ’em off.

Alright, now let’s talk about the first Influence cards. Each player gets their 10 Influence cards that they had set aside. Then, you take 5 of those cards and place ’em face down. These cards have numbers from 1 to 5 on ’em. You put one card in front of each group of Patrician cards on your side. You decide which card goes where, totally up to you. Finally, you’re left with 5 cards in your hand. Keep ’em close, buddy.

When playing Cleopatra, I always go first. Then it’s your turn. You have two options:

• A. Be active
• B. Stay passive

Actions of an active player

If you choose to be active, here’s what you need to do:

• You must play one or two Influence cards
• You can play an Action card
• You must complete your hand
• You must draw a Vote of Confidence card

A.1. Play one or two Influence cards

Place 1 or 2 Influence cards in front of you:

• Choose to either place 1 card face down with the Patricians you choose

Alright, let’s spice things up! Check out these cool moves for the game:

I’m going to lay out a strategy here that you might find interesting. Instead of the traditional one card at a time, why not try something different? I suggest having two cards face up in front of one or two groups that you choose. It adds a delicious element of surprise and strategy!

Here are a few guidelines to make sure the game stays fair:

• You can always take a peek at your own face-down Influence cards. No secrets there!
• Remember, a group of Patricians can’t have more than 5 Influence cards on one side. Keep it balanced!
• And here’s another tip: A group of Patricians can’t have more than 8 Influence cards in total. Gotta keep an eye on those numbers!

A.2. Time to make things happen: Playing an Action card!

In this game, you have the freedom to play an Action card whenever you want during your turn. Just remember to do it before you draw a Vote of Confidence card (even when you’re in the middle of an Exceptional Vote of Confidence). And when you play an Action card, make sure to apply its effects right away. Once you’re done with it, discard it. No lingering!

A.3. Ready to wrap it up? Completing the hand!

When I finish playing all the cards I want, I make sure to refill my hand with 5 new cards. If there are already 8 Influence cards in front of a group of Patricians at that time, a special vote called an Exceptional Vote of Confidence is triggered.

Now let’s talk about drawing a Vote of Confidence card. At the end of my turn, I flip over the top card from the Vote of Confidence deck.

Here’s what can happen:

– If the card shows a group of Patricians, we resolve the Vote of Confidence (more on that in the next section).

– If the card says “Orgy,” there won’t be a vote this time. However, one of the Orgy cards might ask me to shuffle the discarded Vote of Confidence cards back into the deck.

After revealing the card, I discard it next to the Vote of Confidence deck.

Now, let’s move on to what a passive player can do in the game.

A passive player can only discard cards from their hand and draw the same number from either of their draw piles. There’s no Vote of Confidence.

Once your turn is done, it’s the next player’s turn.

Here’s how we solve a Vote of Confidence:

– A Vote of Confidence happens when:

– A group of Patricians receives 8 Influence cards (this is known as an Exceptional Vote of Confidence).

– A player draws a Vote of Confidence card that designates one of the groups of Patricians.

To solve a Vote of Confidence:

– The Influence cards in front of the group of Patricians are flipped face down.

– We add up the influence points of the cards placed by each player in front of the group of Patricians.

When we play the game, the player who has the most influence is the winner. They get to take a Patrician card from the group and place it face up next to them. There’s one exception: if there’s a Philosopher card, the rule is reversed – the weaker player wins.

Now, let’s talk about discarding. The player with the most points has to discard the highest card they played on the group. On the other hand, the player with the fewest points has to discard the lowest card they played on the group. All the other cards that were played on the group stay in place, face up.

During an Exceptional Vote of Confidence, if there’s an equality in the votes, we can only solve it by using an Action Card. You can find more information about Action Cards in Chapter 7. And of course, we can’t add any Influence card to the group that’s being voted on.

If, after a Vote of Confidence, the last card in a Patrician group is won by a player, all remaining Influence cards in that group are discarded. If a Vote of Confidence card subsequently designates a group that is no longer present, it is ignored. The player removes this card from the deck (puts it back in the box) and draws the next Vote of Confidence card.

The Fascinating Philosopher Card

Picture this: you’re in the intense world of a card game, and you come across a special card known as the Philosopher. This card works just like any other Influence card, but with a twist. When you play the Philosopher card next to a group of Patricians, something magical happens.

When it’s time for a Vote of Confidence, and the Philosopher is one of the Influence cards on the table, get ready for a shake-up. Instead of the player with the most influence winning, the result gets flipped on its head. In a surprising turn of events, the player with the least influence emerges as the winner!

But wait, there’s more. Even if the player with the most influence ends up losing the round, they still have to discard their strongest card that’s in play with the group. Talk about a double-edged sword!

What about the Philosopher card, you ask? Well, it’s not off the hook either. Unless there’s a tie, the Philosopher card(s) also get discarded, bidding a solemn farewell.

Now, let’s talk about ties. If the players find themselves tied in influence, everything remains uncovered. That means the Philosopher card(s) stay face up, revealing their fascinating secrets.

Here’s an interesting fact about the Philosopher card – it has a value of 0. That might not seem like much, but it can have a huge impact. If both sides of the group only have Philosophers, it results in a perfectly balanced tie. On the other hand, if there’s any influence greater than 0 on the opposite side of the group, the Philosopher can emerge victorious!

So, the Philosopher card is not just any ordinary card. It’s a game-changer, a disruptor of sorts. It adds a thrilling element of uncertainty and intrigue to the game. With the Philosopher in play, you never know what surprises await you in the world of card games.

• If both players play a Philosopher card, they cancel each other out, and the player with the most influence wins again.
• If one side has one Philosopher card and the other side has two, one Philosopher card is discarded from each side, and the player with the least influence wins the Vote of Confidence.
• If a player plays two Philosopher cards and their opponent plays none, both cards count as one (they don’t cancel each other).
• In all of the above cases, when a Vote of Confidence is resolved without a tie, all Philosophers are discarded.

The Action Cards

Each player has 13 Action cards. On their turn, a player can play one, and only one, Action card. There are six types of Action cards.

I want to share with you some valuable information about a card game called Influence. It’s an exciting game that involves strategy and decision-making. In this game, there are different types of cards, each with its own unique abilities. Let me tell you about some of them.

First, we have the Assassin. This card allows me to remove and discard one of your face-up Influence cards from the table. It’s a powerful move that can really shake things up and give me an advantage.

Next up is the Spy. With this card, I can take a look at the cards in your hand and choose one to discard. But be careful, because you’ll have to immediately draw a new card from your draw piles. It’s a sneaky move that can disrupt your plans.

We also have the Roman Roque and Egyptian Roque cards. These cards allow me to take back all the Influence cards I’ve placed on two groups of Patricians. Then, I can redistribute these cards between the two groups, face down. I do have to follow the rules for the maximum number of cards per group, though.

Another interesting card is the Courtesan. When I play this card, I can flip all of your cards face down that you’ve placed on a group of Patricians. It’s a clever way to mess with your strategy and keep you on your toes.

Lastly, we have the Wrath of the Gods card. This is a powerful card that lets me remove and discard all of the Influence cards on both sides of a group of Patricians. It’s a game-changer that can really turn the tide in my favor.

So, as you can see, each card in Influence has its own unique ability that can help you gain an advantage over your opponent. It’s a fun and strategic game that requires careful planning and quick thinking. I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I do!

Imagine playing a thrilling card game called Caesar/Cleopatra, where you can use powerful strategies to outwit your opponent. Let me explain some of the exciting features of this game, starting with the Veto cards.

You have two special Veto cards in your deck. These cards give you the ability to cancel an Action card that your opponent plays. It’s like having a secret weapon up your sleeve! When you use a Veto card, both the Veto card and the opponent’s Action card get discarded. And to add to the excitement, you even get to draw a new card. But remember, a Veto card cannot cancel another Veto card. So use them wisely to gain an advantage in the game.

Now let’s talk about how the game ends. There are two situations that can trigger the end of the game: either all the Patricians have been won by the players, or both players no longer have any Influence cards left.

If only one player has cards remaining while the other doesn’t, that player continues to play alone, but without the ability to draw any more cards. The game ends when the player has played all their cards in hand.

But here’s something important to note: any Patrician cards that haven’t been won don’t count towards determining the winner. Victory points are earned by each player for every Patrician card they have won. So the more Patricians you have, the more victory points you earn!

Isn’t this game exciting? With its unique Veto cards and the race to win Patricians, Caesar/Cleopatra offers an engaging and strategic experience. So grab your deck, gather your wits, and prepare for an epic battle of card-playing mastery!

• If I have the majority of Patricians in a group, I earn 1 point (only if all Patricians in that group have been given).
• If I have all the Patricians in a group, I earn 1 point (even if not all Patricians have been given).
• If I achieve my Bonus Goal, I earn 2 points.

Both Victory points and bonuses can come from the same group of Patricians. The player with the most points wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most Patricians wins.



Transformations

Advice for newcomers

If you want to become a master of the game, you need to familiarize yourself with the Action cards. And the best way to do that is by playing! So, when you’re just starting out, don’t worry about choosing the order of the Action cards – simply shuffle them and let fate decide.